Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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For me it was working VK0TH, Trevor, on Macquarie Island on PSK31. My yagi
was down for repairs, so all I had was a 20M dipole as a sloper with the high end at about 20'. 20m was 'dead', or so I thought, then his trace appeared. He came back to my first call. Amazing!! I was only running 30W. His QSL card arrived a few weeks later. My only confirmed VK0 QSO. - 73 and good DX de Mike, <http://www.qrz.com/db/k6mkf/> K6MKF, Past President - <http://ncdxc.org/index.html> NCDXC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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"You always remember your first." :-)
My first DX contact as a 16-yr old Novice in August of 1970, was on 15 meter CW (rockbound of course, I still have the 3rd-overtone 7 MHz crystal) with LU2DAW, an Argentinian who turned out to be a retired railroad radio operator, who had done CW professionally for most of his life. He must have been VERY patient with my brand-new shaky 5 WPM CW fist. I used a borrowed Knight Kit T-60 transmitter, a Hallicrafters SX-99U receiver with outboard Heathkit Q-Multiplier, a Dow-key antenna relay, and a 'horizontal' inverted vee antenna in my parent's L-shaped attic. My Morse key was a Radio Shack black plastic special, screwed to a piece of fiberboard. I treasure the QSL card to this day. 73, -- Dave, N8SBE (approaching 50 yrs licensed in 2020) ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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In reply to this post by k6mkf
In the late 1970s my wife and I came home from a party about midnight. I decided to listen to the ham bands a bit, and I heard a call from Guyana. I called and worked them. We later exchanged QSL cards.
Several years later while driving to work I suddenly remembered the QSO and the events that had happened since. I rushed home and dug out the QSL card. There is was. PEOPLES TEMPLE AGRICULTURAL PROJECT. I had worked the station associated wit the Jim Jones settlement whose residents later committed mass suicide. Not rewarding, but definitely crazy. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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In reply to this post by Dave New, N8SBE
The most rewarding QSO I DIDN'T have:
A few sunspot cycles ago I tuned around 10 meters from my then-QTH in California. The ONLY signal I could hear on the entire band was from a beacon station on Reunion Island, very copyable. 73, Bob N7XY ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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Mine was the first time I transmitted my call with the antenna array
aimed at the moon, switched to receive, adjusted the VFO frequency a bit, and heard my own call come back. Yep, some 2.56 seconds delay, a frequency shift of about -200 Hz due to Doppler, and from a distance of 239,000 miles one way, or 478,000 miles round trip. Sweet! Then much later and as the station improved, on SSB I transmitted "HELLO MOON", switched to receive and tweaked the VFO a bit and heard "HELLO MOON" come from the receiver. I suppose one could consider this somewhat of a 2 way QSO with myself. One other occurred while working a station about 250 miles away on VHF and via EME. I heard his tropo signal, and then his moon signal, shifted in time and frequency. And likewise he heard mine. Now would this be considered one QSO or two? With my 59 years of ham radio in my log, I still find ham radio fun and enjoyable. Much thanks to Elecraft today, and the friends I've made along the way. 73 Bob, K4TAX ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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In reply to this post by Bob Nielsen-4
Two of my craziest were:
Going to 80 one evening 2 hours before sunset and working VQ9QM. He even made a note on the card to express his surprise to work the US at that time. And the funny thing is no one else called him from the US. He went back to running EU which I could not hear. Sitting on 10 meters with the idea that the expedition to KH1 (SM0AGD/KH1) would be on at a certain time and they would transmit on 28595. Right about the time I figured they would be there so I called them a couple times and he came back then went split. Strangest QSL I ever received was a coconut. Yes an actual coconut that was sent via USPS and NOT packaged. Everything was pasted right to the coconut. That came from my old friend KH6ML. 73 Tim, KQ8M [hidden email] -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Bob Nielsen - N7XY Sent: Friday, September 14, 2018 17:01 To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Craziest / most rewarding QSOs The most rewarding QSO I DIDN'T have: A few sunspot cycles ago I tuned around 10 meters from my then-QTH in California. The ONLY signal I could hear on the entire band was from a beacon station on Reunion Island, very copyable. 73, Bob N7XY ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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In reply to this post by Bob Nielsen-4
Back in the "good" days of sunspot 1957-58, and me a new ham and could only afford a Heath Kit Sixer. So, I put a ground plane vertical up and while I lived on the Pacific coast, I could hear a lot of local Pacific coast stations. Now while the Sixer was good at local QSO's, how about now with the band wide open. Remember these were the days of crystal bound transmitters and wideband super regen receivers. I heard a station calling CQ in an oriental voice and I called and called. Then I heard my call sign, WOW. I worked a JA on 6 meters with 1/2 watt AM. First real DX for the new ham.
Mel, K6KBE From: Bob Nielsen - N7XY <[hidden email]> To: [hidden email] Sent: Friday, September 14, 2018 2:03 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Craziest / most rewarding QSOs The most rewarding QSO I DIDN'T have: A few sunspot cycles ago I tuned around 10 meters from my then-QTH in California. The ONLY signal I could hear on the entire band was from a beacon station on Reunion Island, very copyable. 73, Bob N7XY ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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In reply to this post by Bob McGraw - K4TAX
While many people talk to themselves, most do it privately and not in a
setting where half of the planet can hear them. [:-) 73, Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW Sparks NV DM09dn Washoe County On 9/14/2018 2:27 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote: > Mine was the first time I transmitted my call with the antenna array > aimed at the moon, switched to receive, adjusted the VFO frequency a > bit, and heard my own call come back. Yep, some 2.56 seconds delay, > a frequency shift of about -200 Hz due to Doppler, and from a distance > of 239,000 miles one way, or 478,000 miles round trip. Sweet! > Then much later and as the station improved, on SSB I transmitted > "HELLO MOON", switched to receive and tweaked the VFO a bit and heard > "HELLO MOON" come from the receiver. I suppose one could consider > this somewhat of a 2 way QSO with myself. One other occurred while > working a station about 250 miles away on VHF and via EME. I heard > his tropo signal, and then his moon signal, shifted in time and > frequency. And likewise he heard mine. Now would this be considered > one QSO or two? With my 59 years of ham radio in my log, I still find > ham radio fun and enjoyable. Much thanks to Elecraft today, and the > friends I've made along the way. > > 73 > > Bob, K4TAX ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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In reply to this post by Bob McGraw - K4TAX
My first time hearing my echos was pretty thrilling too. So was working W5LFL
in Columbia and having him say, "N7WS, the loudest signal we've heard in the spacecraft" and then later getting to meet him in person. Wes N7WS On 9/14/2018 2:27 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote: > Mine was the first time I transmitted my call with the antenna array aimed at > the moon, switched to receive, adjusted the VFO frequency a bit, and heard my > own call come back. Yep, some 2.56 seconds delay, a frequency shift of about > -200 Hz due to Doppler, and from a distance of 239,000 miles one way, or > 478,000 miles round trip. Sweet! Then much later and as the station > improved, on SSB I transmitted "HELLO MOON", switched to receive and tweaked > the VFO a bit and heard "HELLO MOON" come from the receiver. I suppose one > could consider this somewhat of a 2 way QSO with myself. One other occurred > while working a station about 250 miles away on VHF and via EME. I heard > his tropo signal, and then his moon signal, shifted in time and frequency. And > likewise he heard mine. Now would this be considered one QSO or two? With my > 59 years of ham radio in my log, I still find ham radio fun and enjoyable. > Much thanks to Elecraft today, and the friends I've made along the way. > > 73 > > Bob, K4TAX ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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In reply to this post by k6dgw
I've never indicated I was of sound mind.
Bob, K4TAX Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 14, 2018, at 5:17 PM, Fred Jensen <[hidden email]> wrote: > > While many people talk to themselves, most do it privately and not in a setting where half of the planet can hear them. [:-) > > 73, > > Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW > Sparks NV DM09dn > Washoe County > >> On 9/14/2018 2:27 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote: >> Mine was the first time I transmitted my call with the antenna array aimed at the moon, switched to receive, adjusted the VFO frequency a bit, and heard my own call come back. Yep, some 2.56 seconds delay, a frequency shift of about -200 Hz due to Doppler, and from a distance of 239,000 miles one way, or 478,000 miles round trip. Sweet! Then much later and as the station improved, on SSB I transmitted "HELLO MOON", switched to receive and tweaked the VFO a bit and heard "HELLO MOON" come from the receiver. I suppose one could consider this somewhat of a 2 way QSO with myself. One other occurred while working a station about 250 miles away on VHF and via EME. I heard his tropo signal, and then his moon signal, shifted in time and frequency. And likewise he heard mine. Now would this be considered one QSO or two? With my 59 years of ham radio in my log, I still find ham radio fun and enjoyable. Much thanks to Elecraft today, and the friends I've made along t >> >> 73 >> >> Bob, K4TAX > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [hidden email] ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
Re: Craziest / most rewarding QSOs
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In reply to this post by k6mkf
As Wayne noted - there is still some RF (Propagation) magic left. I enjoyed a short SSB QSO today from ZL with K6JL (Terry).
And while I am sure Terry’s station was doing a lot (all) of the hard work- the station at this end made it a lot of fun - new K2 built a few months ago running around 13W into a 43’ mostly random wire - one end at about 22’ (Squid pole) and a counterpoise of the same length. Looking forward to more of the Southern Hemisphere summer season coming up with more chances to get outdoors with this kit Richard ZL4FZ ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [hidden email] |
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